The course will explore the work of three leading postwar American poets: Elizabeth Bishop, John Ashbery, and James Merrill. We will approach these poets as creators of distinctive poetic styles and voices, as figures within the poetry world of their time, and as queer artists involved in complex negotiations of concealment and disclosure. We’ll situate their work within (and outside) some of the major schools of postwar poetry, and look at the reception of that work by critics in their time and ours. We’ll use letters and other recently available documents to illuminate the poetry. We’ll examine the role in their careers of different forms and locales of expatriation (Bishop in Brazil, Ashbery in France, Merrill in Greece). Most of all, we’ll seek to engage with and understand three compelling bodies of poetic achievement.

Units: 1

Max Enrollment: 20

Crosslisted Courses: AMST 367

Prerequisites: Open to all students who have taken two literature courses in the department, at least one of which must be 200 level, or by permission of the instructor to other qualified students.

Distribution Requirements: LL - Language and Literature

Typical Periods Offered: Every three years

Semesters Offered this Academic Year: Not Offered; Spring